A Hole…in the Shape of The UCWbL
When I began my life at DePaul, I always thought I’d dread the day it would be over. People always talk about college being the best time of your life—when everything magical happens and you finally become yourself. And to be honest, I did begin to feel that way when I started working at The UCWbL. I met extraordinary people, navigated the twists and turns of the English language, and began to truly grasp that I was making an impact—finally, as an adult—in my own world.
After three years of growing alongside the writers I work with, the tutors I laugh with, and the coordinators I look up to, it’s only natural that I should feel sad, like a part of me will fall away when I leave DePaul. For a while I was. I began winter quarter with a hole in my heart, knowing that soon it will be hiring season—when I will step aside and watch as fresh new faces pass the reception desk for the sweatiest (and most enjoyable!) interview of their young lives. I needed to start thinking about what my impact will be when I depart from The UCWbL.
See Ya Chicago
Many young English graduates gravitate towards earning TEFL certification, mostly because it opens doors for teaching English abroad and buys time for people to figure out what they want to do with their degrees on a longer-term basis. A lot of these young graduates go to a country they wouldn’t mind living for a year or two—places like China, Japan, or South Korea, where EAL (English as an Additional Language) jobs are plentiful.
I knew that could be an option for me someday, but it didn’t seem like the type of work I wanted to do. It’s a big commitment to get a certification, and for my personal goals, it didn’t feel like the kind of impact I wanted to make right out of the gate. I began to search for alternative ways of putting my skills to use, but instead of looking toward the future, I decided to look back.
What Must Be Done?
Around Christmastime, I spent a few weeks in Mumbai, India, working on a documentary project for the Indian Development Foundation. The promotional film was for Waste 2 Knowledge—a program that aides in the collecting and recycling of newspapers in order to generate revenue for after-school programs in underprivileged communities. I specifically spent time filming in the slums of Malwani. Since the program benefitted after-school activities for students in the slums, I spent a lot of time in classrooms and around children.
I was 8,000 miles away from home, but somehow, Vincent DePaul crept into my mind with his famous question: what must be done? At the time, a lot was going on; it was difficult for me to consider the bigger picture when all I could do was film and sweat and film some more. However, I still found myself reflecting on his question. Though I was simply making a promotional documentary that informed the public of the work IDF does, it felt like I was finally putting to use the communication and teaching skills I’d built up in my years as an UCWbL tutor somewhere beyond DePaul’s community. I could tell how much it meant to the students to have somebody who really wanted to connect with them, not just use them for a film. I expected to feel uncomfortable in a new environment, but all I felt was gratitude and excitement while working with students from an unfamiliar culture.
Baby Steps
When I got back at the end of December, I had more time to reflect on my experience—one that was radically different than any I’d had so far. I knew that I wanted to leave the country as soon as possible, especially to go to a place where young students lack the educational opportunities I’ve had my whole life. Should I take a shot with TEFL? Should I join the Peace Corps? Should I just move to Mumbai? These all seemed like hasty and irrational decisions. College graduates with zero in their bank account don’t join the Peace Corps or move across the world on a whim, right?
Through some perusing on the Internet, I stumbled across IVHQ—an organization that sends volunteers to projects all over the world. As expected, almost every country had opportunities for teaching English. At first (I couldn’t help it), I looked at Greece, since I have family there and have always enjoyed it. I could totally spend three months in Greece. But the program fee (which covers food, housing, and general support) was nearly three times as much as—you guessed it—India! Why would I go to Greece, a relatively developed and connected country, when I could spend way less and do way more with the skills I’ve built through working at The UCWbL?
I Didn’t Have a Good Answer. I Still Don’t.
I’ve come to accept that I will never have all of the answers—that the UCWbL-shaped hole in my heart will always be there, even if I’m 8,000 miles away. Once upon a time, going to India—a place where I, a pasty redhead, definitely don’t fit in—was something that seemed far-fetched and impractical. Now it’s attainable, exciting, and all I can think about. One day, if and when I do end up there, my days as a tutor with some of the best people I know will always remain colorful and significant in my memory. I’ll carry them everywhere I go.
No matter how many volunteer opportunities I undertake or schools I teach in, I know there will always be more I can do—ways I can make an impact using the skills I’ve been fortunate enough to gain over the past three years. It doesn’t matter if you want to take two steps or ten steps the second you walk out the door; what matters is that you make your own impact, the one that could change a small part of the whole wide world, and a big part of yours.